Ponzi Schemes + How much would you run one for with jail time?

Couple questions:

1. Does anyone know someone (who themselves) who has run (or is running) a ponzi scheme and how it worked out?

2. I never really understand why people try to run these schemes, don't they think eventually they will get caught? Only think I can reason is (a) they don't care and would take living like a king/queen for a couple years then go to jail (b) they're really good at it so they keep it going and I don't know about it?

3. Would you personally take 10  years where you got a billion dollars and could do whatever you want but  you then had to go to jail for 25 years after?

9 Comments
 

I’m not willing to lie to investors, so no I would not take a billion dollars.

Most of these schemes start out with good intentions and then fraud starts a little then a lot of fraud.

"If you always put limits on everything you do, physical or anything else, it will spread into your work and into your life. There are no limits. There are only plateaus, and you must not stay there, you must go beyond them." - Bruce Lee
 
Most Helpful


 

Hey guys - is anyone here currently committing financial crimes or witnessing white collar criminality at work? 🤪

Commercial Real Estate Developer
 
Funniest

Just get a job administering social security and you can run a ponzi scheme w/out ever worrying about jail time. 

I come from down in the valley, where mister when you're young, they bring you up to do like your daddy done
 

Lol no way you get 25 years afterward unless you scam some rich/powerful people, just look at SBF. Only reason Madoff got so much time was because they needed to make an example of him and he stole from a LOT of rich connected folks.

"If you don't have any enemies in life you have never stood up for anything" - Winston Churchill | "It's a testament to the sheer belligerence of the profession that people would rather argue about the 'risk-adjusted returns' of using inferior tooth cleaning methods." - kellycriterion
 

Modi dignissimos et vel temporibus non. Architecto esse ipsa labore exercitationem perspiciatis. Nihil velit deserunt non voluptatibus earum amet accusantium ut. Nesciunt vero consequatur deserunt sed.

Molestias dicta quod ea ipsa ipsam doloremque assumenda et. Praesentium quia maiores fuga nemo eos ratione.

Sed in nobis et quia ipsam dolorem. Sapiente tempore nesciunt officia quia non id. Soluta quae non et non. Aut sint aut aut eos numquam consequuntur.

"If you don't have any enemies in life you have never stood up for anything" - Winston Churchill | "It's a testament to the sheer belligerence of the profession that people would rather argue about the 'risk-adjusted returns' of using inferior tooth cleaning methods." - kellycriterion

Career Advancement Opportunities

June 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.4%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.8%
  • JPMorgan 01 98.2%
  • Guggenheim Partners 01 97.7%
  • Morgan Stanley 07 97.1%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

June 2026 Investment Banking

  • Moelis & Company No 99.4%
  • Morgan Stanley 02 98.8%
  • Evercore 01 98.2%
  • BMO Capital Markets 12 97.6%
  • Banco Santander 01 97.1%

Professional Growth Opportunities

June 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.4%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.8%
  • Morgan Stanley 05 98.2%
  • JPMorgan No 97.7%
  • BMO Capital Markets 12 97.1%

Total Avg Compensation

June 2026 Investment Banking

  • Vice President (14) $434
  • Associates (44) $258
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (8) $210
  • 2nd Year Analyst (22) $179
  • Intern/Summer Associate (13) $156
  • 1st Year Analyst (78) $151
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (72) $101
notes
16 IB Interviews Notes

“... there’s no excuse to not take advantage of the resources out there available to you. Best value for your $ are the...”

Leaderboard

success
From 10 rejections to 1 dream investment banking internship

“... I believe it was the single biggest reason why I ended up with an offer...”